The Acting Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, told members of the House
of Representatives on Tuesday that the leadership of the anti-graft
agency did not tamper with recovered funds.
Magu’s predecessor, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde,
had been relieved of his post amid allegations that he tampered with
billions of naira and property recovered by the EFCC.
But Magu told the House Committee on
Financial Crimes in Abuja that it was impossible for any official of the
EFCC to tamper with the recovered funds.
He claimed that the agency recovered N8bn in 2014.
Although, the lawmakers did not
specifically mention Lamorde’s name, they asked Magu questions about
speculation that the recovered funds were pilfered by some EFCC
officials.
They also sought to know how much the anti-graft agency recovered this year since the figure for 2014 was N8bn.
Magu declined to give the figure for 2015, saying that it would take a long process to arrive at the accurate amount.
But, on the allegation that the
recovered funds were being pilfered by officials of the anti-graft
agency, he vehemently defended the EFCC and its officials.
Magu said, “The issue of recovery is a difficult one, it is impossible to come with up specific figures.
“This is because lots of money might be
recovered from the zones and it may take a week or two before the
information gets to us.
“I cannot come up with an estimate, it
is unrealistic because you may come up with a figure now only to
discover shortly after that an account is blocked that would be
eventually forfeited to the Federal Government.
“It is not easy to tamper with exhibit;
no trained detective will tamper with exhibit money or any exhibit for
that matter because it is a serious issue.
“So, all this noise about missing N3.something billion (is not true), it doesn’t happen.
“It is not true sir, you will see, we are investigating it and you will end up seeing that it is impossible.
“I’m not defending anybody, but I’m telling you from the bottom of my heart, it is not easy to tamper with exhibits.
“By training, detectives and investigators all over the world are the same on procedures for exhibit.”
On the proposed autonomy for the
Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC, Magu said it was unnecessary
because it would take away the core mandate of the EFCC.
The House committee is chaired by Mr. Kayode Oladele.
He had raised concerns over how people entrusted with public funds stole from the same money.
Oladele stated, “It is extremely
saddening to discover the sheer magnitude of outright stealing allegedly
perpetrated by those entrusted with securing lives and property of poor
and powerless Nigerians, under the guise of fighting Boko Haram.
“While millions of the ordinary Nigerian
victims of terrorism were left to their fate, a few elite, most of whom
were not even victims of Boko Haram, unashamedly dipped their hands
into the vaults to steal billions of dollars from our resources to
satisfy their perverse cravings.
“This is nothing but a crime against humanity.
“The least we can pledge in honour of
fallen and languishing fellow Nigerians is the total support of this
committee to the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies.”
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